When Michael Carrick retired from playing for Manchester United to join the club’s coaching staff in 2018, José Mourinho handed him two things at the club’s end-of-season awards ceremony: a whistle and some headache tablets.
The latter have become particularly necessary during the club’s first serious spell of underwhelming form under his watch. After all the enthusiasm inspired by the second half of last season, Carrick has seen his side lose half of their first six fixtures this season.
